Jenna – Oewyn and Gilain – Friendly and outgoing – spirit of wanderlust – had to prod and push her father to be part the field position with military force – animal person – Cavalier/Bard (Battle Herald Build) – 24 years old – Soldiers are not happy with some of the new tactics – to send a more forceful message with the centaurs – She has a medium to hight respect for the centaurs

Willis – Neesha – Unexpectedly is an intellectual – Indiana Jones – Ranger – Current fascination with Cyclops (We have ruined watch tower -1421) – shares that based on records that the cyclops had an empire – originated from land of Iobara (east of Varnhold – past mountains – monster controlled now)

Caspar – Alexi – Escorted around town for hours – pleased to see strong community spirit – Use Watchtower – Didn’t have the internal issues we had – mostly outside issues – higher stability or loyalty than us -

Magar Varn – Kaiden – Working to ‘herd’ some of the Centaurs to reservations – certain areas they are more resistant in – Can loan a unit to Varnhold – week to week – to help improve relations

Kaiden turns 29 during this month

Week 3 – Travel to Candlemere

Paying Duncan the Fisherman 20 gp for the weeks of travel with us. He’ll be dropping us off on the west side and then coming back daily at noon to see if we are ready to be picked up.

Terrain is considered hilly. Soil is rich.

Area of undergrowth is odd – strange ridge of plants has grown over wall.

We search the hex to find points of interest before moving to ruins. Regions are like scottish moors..

Areas of interest – the tower. the hill, and ruined town with dock. This takes us most of the day. We check out the hill in the afternoon/evening.

Hill

7 Places of Interest

We enter through one on the lower level – stone chamber – slightly worked and slightly natural. Somewhat hidden, there is an excavated tunnel, but not finished

At T fork, we head, right (away from water sounds). It comes to a chamber that is partially collapsed. Some sun tricking in from hole in ceiling. In the dirt pile below the hole, there are some bones. Gilain examines the remains – finds the head of rusted shovel.

Go the other way that T fork, there is a partially collapsed room. Bit more moisture. Several spots are pretty constant trickles of moisture. Possible drain at one end. Gilain explores pool. 15 ft deep. stairs under the water on one side.

The drainage area is 5 ft radius hole. The hole is probably 10 ft deep and heads south and east.

As we back out to the front cavern, a wraith attacks us. After a zesty fight where it did numerous Con damage to several people, we defeat it.

Combat

1 x Wraith

We retreat a mile away to camp the night. During the first watch, we are attacked.

Combat

1 x Willow O’Wisp

On second watch, we are attacked.

Combat

2 x Willow O’Wisp

1 x Willow O’Wisp – retreated

On third watch, we attacked

4 x Willow O’Wisp – 1 retreated

We make it through the night.

7 Places of Interest (continued)

Second entrance (southern) on the lower level. Bigger entrance than the last. Opens into a gallery. The far wall is rubble. There is a crack that has water running across it from one side to the other.

Rubble wall – one part to one side might be a nest. Oewyn starts to back away and things happen.

Combat

1 x Wasp Swarm

Investigating hive was made in a body – we find 3 uncut gemstones.

Alot of the other entrances lead into similar type areas – worked and natural stone – water is prevalent in all of them. The whole hill is riddled.

That takes the rest of the day. We return to our campsite and see what happens over night.

4713 June (continued)

Week 2 – Hunt the Owlbear

We have completed the search of the lair and the plan is to return next month for the pact and to bring the nourished young owl bear cub.

We complete the search of the hex and start back to the capital.

HEX 1819 SEARCHCOMPLETED

Week 3 – Back in the Capital

The party returns to the capital and rather than address the crowd – says he needs to address it with the council first.

Ensorceled creature sent against us – we tracked it back to it lair, defeated it and broke the ensorcelement. It offered recompense for the deaths it caused while it was ensorceled. We are translating it as blood guild to the families of those that lost people.

A festival will be held to honor those that fell to the trolls and the owlbear attack

Alexi may have spotted Grigori in the crowd.

We deal with some unrest and schedule the festival one week out.

Week 3 and 4 will be party down time with festival at end of week 3.

Next month after the kingdom turn, we need to head to Restov to meet with the Lord Mayor. (It will take 1 week to get there and then 1 week back).

Downtime

Oewyn trains hitpoints for two weeks
Leanna figures out how to remove hair from the Ring of Bestial Friendship.
Gilain works on relations with Flora
Alexi works on Lilly

Week 4 – Downtime

Alexi, Leanna and Kaiden go to visit Syntira.

Topics

Talon Quake

Possibly other creatures with ties to the land – Narlmarches one is dead – Unicorn Corpse

Pact – we may have options due to Menhir in our grove – maybe talk with caretaker (Dahlia)

Fae Queen? – Tiger Clan?

Shaken a bit (Alexi notices)

Cyclops Empire

Palid Plague

One of her sister’s pioneered it and it was centuries old – virulant concoction – Patron she turned to was the Horsemen of Pestilence (demon lord) – her sister has been locked away

Would she share

Work on positive relations (Alexi) – maybe a Unicorn sighting

Troll Unit cut through the forrest and did not come out the other side – waylaid by the fae (mentioned by Tig and Pervalash)

4713 July

Week 1 – Kingdom Turn

Events

Bandits wipe out two trade caravans leaving Olegdahl

1- Storm Crows

1 – Morgrim Delvedeeps

Forrest Hawks Heading out to make new village – majority of gnome population leaves

4713 June (continued)

Week 2 – Hunt the Owlbear

Oewyn says it will take a few days to get there and we head to Hex 1819

3 days to get there.

Talon Craig – Several miles wide

It’s about 11am. We tie off our mounts about a quarter mile back from the cave entrance and advance.

As we approach, Alexi and Kaiden spot an odd rock (based on shape). Seems to be artificial. Single Menhir. Part of it has been cleaned off. (5 ft up from ground level 2 ft wide) It has some ruins chiseled into it. Kaiden can’t translate it but it is druidic. Seems the sense of it is a warning.

We then move towards the cave. The entrance was originally covered.

With darkvision cast upon the non-darkvision party members, we enter. There is a large cavern with mold in it.

Oewyn spots a mushroom called a ‘Shrieker’ (light and motion within 10 ft cause it to react)

We avoid it and follow the Gargantuan Owlbear sign to the south. Oewyn spots another shrieker.

Alexi spots a creature sneaking up on us on our flank.

Combat

1 x Underground Shambling Mound

1 x Centipede Swarm

Nisha recovers some Shambling Mound sap.

We heal up and then continue south. There are broad, old steps cut in on the downward slope to another large cavern. There is liquid collected on the western wall and steps leading up to the east. The ceiling is 30 ft here. There is a narrow passage behind the pool of water.

Large room found with dead owl bear and 6 dead Tiger tribes men and 3 dead baby owl bears. There is sounds coming from behind the carcasses is starving baby owl bear (3000gp if sold) or can be given back to the earth spirit, party decides to nurse it back to health and take it back to earth spirit next month.

up a 4×4feet web filled chimney find another room filled with spider web .. Leana and Oewyn go up first. Finding a room filled with more webs. battle starts after some squares are cleared. combat 4 spiders and 2 Etter caps.

4713 May (continued)

Week 2 (continued) – War!

After defeating the 2 trolls and the rock troll, we continued north and find the remains of humanoid body and animal remains – food storage. We then go back and head east.

The ceiling of the cavern arches 30 ft overhead. To the south is a wagon heaped with firs without any wheels. A single barrel in the SW corner and nearby there are hides stretched. On the northern wall is a make shift throne with a bear skin rug. There are three brutish dog things in front of the throne. Hargulka sits upon the throne.

Combat

1 x Hargulka

3 x Dog Things

Valkyrie – 78 max hp – 23 damage – AC 25 – 14/9 1d6 +18

After Hargulka is killed, he stands back up and says in a womanish voice – in Sylvan:

“The promise will be fulfilled. It comes and can not be stopped.”

Then he falls back over. Kaiden recognizes the voice and his face goes pale.

The stretched out hide in the corner is a fairly detailed map. – Region Map – Our two settlements and the troll settlement. Arrows indicating raids or paths of attack. Other marks in green indicate the old Elven tower, the grove, and the pond.

There is a merchant chest on the wagon. Alexi isn’t able to open the lock after a few tries – take time later.

We head outside and our troops are mopping up. The town is on fire.

We hear an echoing roar across the area. Our troops are shaken by the sound and become more subdued.

Our troops did have casualties but came out on top.

Army takes care of:

Diseased slaves

Rescued slaves

Mop up town and recover any loot

no more than 3 days, head back

Party heads back to town quickest route

Leanna checks the dead troll dogs for disease (blood fire fever).

We spend the night (as it’s late in the day) and we’ll head out at first light after Leanna expends some healing magic on the diseased.

She has success and the Elf slave wakes up.

Elven Man – conversation is in Elvish – “Don’t come too close – I’m sick.” It
Caleb Northwood- his family holds position Kyonen Court to the south. We return his spell book that we found. We give him some clothes.

The Troll unit had 20-25 in the unit.

Path back will be – Hex 1814 → 1714 → 1615 → 1515 → 1516 → 1517

Week 3

Five days later we arrive at the town with smoke and dust over the town. There are people milling around. They look shell shocked. There was a fire. The person we talk to says they were attacked by a ginormous monster – a bird – bear thing the size of the elephant – crashed through the southern wall and rampaged through the city.

Town militia tried to stop it. It left several days ago.

We head to the town hall to assess the situation with the rest of the council.

The dead have been tended to.

Flora – There were 80 casualties – over half of which were watch men. (Akiros survived)

Looked like a massive owlbear. It came from the south and headed back in that direction.

Annalise dispatches a messenger to Olegdahl to get word from them. Where is that troll unit?

What is the damage to the town? Recorded on the tracker

Building Plan

Month 1

repair wall (half price) reduce unrest by 2 – cost 1

repair watcher tower – reduces unrest by 1 – cost 3

repair house – reduced unrest by 1 – cost 1

Month 2

repair house – cost 1

repair inn – cost 3

Send messenger to the grove

Hear back from Olegdahl and they were not attacked

There was a contingent from Varnhold that helped in the town’s defense.

Week 4

Army returns Week 4.

Follow up on Grigori – the agitator

4713 June

Week 1 – Kingdom Turn

Events

Oewyn – (choices between – shambling mound, giant owlbear, and destroyed caravan) – owlbear – full success – He can blaze a trail to the creature (the right hex)

Nisha – Treasury investigation -

Alexi – Research Unrest – 1d8 + 5 = 13

Leanna – Research shadow spell

Gilain -

Kaiden – Hire some people to look after the orphans including the changelings

Broad valley – There are mud, brick, buildings built up around a hill with a ruined stone structure.

There a massive gaps into the defenses. – Old. Probably Dwarvish in nature.

Strategic Turn

Recon terrain

There is a work crew that was not evacuated back into the fortification – chain gang – lumber gang. One of the Elven slaves is attacking our soldiers as Leanna arrives. The elf says in elven “Get back, it’s a trap. They are diseased. (Plagued).” Leanna is able to prevent it from spreading (Filth Fever). We isolate them and

There is a Kobold and Troll unit in the town. There are tracks (probably Troll) headed north. The tracks are two days old.

Based on that information, we decide we need to take out these units first before we head back.

Potential Objectives

Recover remaining slaves -

Our Kobold commander is going to make sure the Kobold unit is anihilated.

We’ll have the Forrest Hawks work with our Kobold unit on that objective. The Human

The party will recover slaves so they are not used for food (and it’s the right thing to do).

Recover Slave Gangs

4 x Trolls

4 x Chain Gangs (saved 14 of 20)

We evac with the chain gang and this aids our fighting forces of are able to breach the fortifications.

About 2 hours later we see our next opportunity. An unexpected tactical change – a fire starts. We see a detachment retreat into the fort (command flag).

We head in and up the hill. Along the path, Oewyn spots some deadfalls above..

Nisha casts Twilight Haze and we dash across the area. Nisha takes the brunt of the log fall as we cross.

Combat

3 x Trolls

1 x Deadfall

As a detail, Thorn throbbed in his hands as he moved.

Dwarvish ruins on the doors: The Palid Plague Is Here – Do No Enter if you value your life.

(this was the plague type that hit Kaiden’s original village)

There are two stairs leading out of the entry room. We head up the stairs to the south. It leads to a circular room that has a spiraling stair case that goes up a long way. The floor is covered in muck. Seems this is the latreen.

We head to the other stairs going up to the west of the main entrance.

A troll comes rushing at Oewyn and Valkyrie with a table in a bull rush action. It’s a more buff than normal Troll.

Combat

1 x Buff Troll

1 x Troll Hound

This room has been defaced with crude graffiti. Table with a headless small figure. Seems to be the body of a halfling that was used to feed something (Troll Hound).

Two exits – one north and one south. The northern passage leads to a kennel with two chained up Troll Hounds.

Kennel

2 x Troll Hounds

Then Kennel is disturbing. Lots of body parts for the dogs to eat.

Heading to the south leads to a store room stacked with things. We’ll want to explore this room in detail later.

In the southern wall is a hole in the worked stone leading south. The tunnel curves west and then forks. (north and west). We head down the west fork.

This opens into a large circular cavern with stalagmites. There is a circle made up of severed humanoid heads.

Oewyn finds a magic gem and several thousand coins. Leanna attempts to identify the gem and fails on a quick look.

While that is happening, Nisha and Kaidan wash away part of the circle.

The group heads back and up the northern fork. As a new chamber comes into Oewyn’s site, he is greeted with the twangs of two ballista bolts. There is a barricade across part of the room.

4713 March (continued)

4713 April

Kingdom Turn Completed – Week 1

Week 2

Plan is to go to Candlemere and grab one Willow O’Wisp and present it to the Lizardmen.

As Ava is down, Akiros has recommended we take a young magic user named Nisha. Kaiden hires her as a trial member for coming mission with a party split. We’ll see how she does.

We are hiring a fishing boat – Duncan (5gp a day). We expect the boat trip to be a week round trip. Socks is not coming with us.

We embark on our trip. It takes us about a day. As we approach, Alex spots the remnants of a stone dock. It’s evening time now. Alexi passes out buckets and we pretend to bail. We start to build a camp at the end of the dock. Kaiden notes the ruins were mostly likely burned.

During first watch, Kaiden spots off to the west some movement – person shaped moving in the rubble about 200 ft away. Kaiden lets Leanna and Alexi know. We continue our watch.

During second watch, the group hears sobbing, male from the west. Oewyn investigates – seems to be some sort of spirit or ghost. Was repeating “I’m sorry”, “I tried to save you”, sobbing, “I wanted to join you”. Oewyn comes back and reports to the group.

During third watch, Valkyrie is not happy with the crying. At one point, Valkyrie’s hackles raise. Oewyn gives himself scent and smells – strong scent of soot and and an odd scent from the north.

A light winks into the air above Alexi and he starts tossing and turning.

Combat Ensues – Gilain thinks looks like one of the earlier Wisps, but it has a fear aura of some sort? Not normal.

Combat

1 x BALL OF LIGHT?

We defeat it and recover it’s body (invisible) and retreat to the boat and leave. As we sail out, we see about six lights wink on in Candlemere.

We set sail for the Lizardmen camp to meet Rashaak. We arrive late afternoon and after initial negotiations, the Lizardmen allow us to land.

We meet with Rashaak. We present the corpse after purifying food and water magic upon it. It is of the same kind, but we cannot guarantee that it is the same one.

He tastes of it and he believes he can cement his tribe to side with us against the Trolls.

We stay through the ceremonies. Some of the group participate in participating in taking a bite.

They are open to being annexed barring details being ironed out. They will contribute one unit during a battle with the Trolls. They would be good as an amphibious unit at 1816. We stay with them through the night. We head back to Priomdahl.

We leave on Day 5 of the second week and head through Hex 1518, 1519 to 1520.

Hex 1518 – Some Boars
Hex 1519 – More wildlife than last time – no longer haunted
Hex 1520 – (Arriving Day 8) – Wildlife is quieter, perhaps a larger predator in the area.

We camp that night and there are no normal wolf howls.

The next day we continue hunting around for where the hunters were found. We find the location and start searching for predators. The small critter burrows and nests, but no other things in this hex. We spend an extra day searching around for the site.

We get there and start searching Hex 1421 (it will take 2 days to search)

We find a site of note. Stone Arch revealed by collapse. The Arch has Cyclopian runes into it. We head in to check it out. 30 ft room that is circular. Collapses around the area. Was probably a second floor here.

This was probably some type of watch tower of some sort. Hmm. There hasn’t been any recent history of Cycolpian activity in the River Kingdom.

We continue searching the hex (1421). Towards dusk, we catch sight of a huge bird off to the east.

We tracks from horses on occasion (unshod). Threading our way through the hills, we find a body and a horse torn to pieces. We investigate the scene. No tracks on the ground. The bodies seem to be all present, with no pieces missing. Savage attack.

We find a broken and spear.

Oewyn, Kaiden, and Leanna construct a stone bier to honor the fallen Urghar. It takes until evening/watch first watch to complete. Kaiden says a short prayers when they are done.

The rest of the party is on watch and setting up a camp nearby.

During first watch, Kaidan and Alexi spots 3 shapes out in the dark and calls out to them.

Kaiden calls out to them loudly, “Friends, come out of the dark, so we can converse.”
Alexi wakes and repeats it in Hallit. He then converses. The Ughar thought we might have killed their kin. We explain what we found and what we did with the body.

In the dialogue that follows, Alexi translates. They did not like us making any accusations against the fae. There have been other attacks. At first against outsiders (that they didn’t care about) and more recently against tribesmen. Other scenes often didn’t leave tracks as well. Also, it seems some of the other scenes would have been difficult for flying creatures to get to.

He has seen bodies in 4 different areas (now), miles apart.

Kaiden introduces himself and asks his name. It is Red Feather.

We Urghar need no help. And trespassers are killed in their land.

He says, “Points SE, where the land rises, that is our terrain. (Hex 1521)”

They will depart. We go back on watches.

Kaidan has started dreaming of being in an ancient Cyclopian army – Roman-like, Spartan-like. Brutal, Punitive, Heavily Regimented.

The next day we seek to finish searching the hex. During the day a group of mounted Urghar that shadow us for two hours and then head off.

We’ll need to hunt whatever it is to kill it in order to claim this territory.

We start trying to track it down. Eventually, we find a ravine with a carcass. It’s den?

Combat

2 x Wyverns

We recover 2 Wyvern Eggs.

explored 1222 and 1221 .. found water fall and cast fly on brian so he could check behind the waterfall for caves .. triggering 15 gargols to attack him … stopped after int was rolled water fall like 50feet and we are at the top .. its reason that the river in the two hexes is not used for water way because you have to go up or down the water fall its stright down drop

The last thing I remember was a flash of green light and then blackness as my lifeblood drained from my wounds.

What Ava and Gilian remembered being entangled in a mass of plants, like a giant head of lettuce. After getting themselves out they found themselves in a clearing surrounded by a bramble of thick thorns. The lighting was strange, everything had a green-blue echo (shadow?) giving an eerie appearance. There were other oversized lettuce patches which started to twitch as others, including myself, emerged healed from the plants.

There was a hooded figure who was there who appears to be Ren Lakejumper. Gilian greeted him but he didn’t remember? He replied that time was fluid or some sort of esoteric wisdom (or foolishness). In any case, he said he was fulfilling a bargain he had made apparently his payment being saving our lives and giving us a wrapped bundle which contained potions, labeled with our names, including my dog’s. There were several for each of us. He directed us to drink the potions and break the seed in the middle of the clearing to “return”.

I received a protection from Evil, 2 oils of magic weapon, and potion of fly. Curiously, the labels were written in my handwriting. The other’s potion labels were also in their own handwriting. My loyal dogkeeper, who was not in the least upset that I stabbed earlier, cast resist cold on all of us (20 Cold). We drank the potions, cast various magics in preparation for battle, and broke the seed.

When the seed was broken it was like all the colors were snapped back into place as the clearing vanished and we appeared right outside of the door just as it was being pushed opened by cousin who mentioned “it was a good thing we had that cold resist up”. Hmmm, it was if our defeat didn’t happen and we were doing this for the first time, yet I still remembered the battle, these thoughts going through our minds as we entered the Ruined Tower to confront the Shadow Queen once more.

The Queen, hovering invisible over the throne like before, challenged us once again as her undead knight stepped out from the shadows. The Shadow Queen dual cast once again, blasting us with a Cone of Cold and Ice Shards at Cousin, who withdrew to treat his wounds. Then that damn cat appeared again, engaging my loyal mastiff! Ava engaged the cat with blade and cold magic which it seemed resistant to. I fought the cat at first as well. Our fair witch, Leanna, cast glitterdust on the Queen, revealing her position. Gilian finished off the demon cat and shifted his position to start fighting the Black Knight.

The Queen cast her protective spell like before, making her invulnerable to lesser magics. The Black Knight replied to Gilian’s challenge with a mighty strike of his glaive channelling foul energies into the blow, but did not fell the brave dwarf. I commanded Valkyrie to attack the Knight while should battle instructions to my allies. I was told later by Ava that the Queen tried to Dominate me (and not in the kinky way) me, casting a spell from a scroll, but it was ineffective due to the Protection from Evil.

I was not so immune to the Black Knight’s glaive! Ouch! Neither was Eva to a Phantasmal Killer. While the Black Knight did go down to daggers, teeth, and claws. Fair Eva fell to the floor dead, Thorn rolling free of her limp fingers. With limited time before she became invisible again, Gillian charged the Queen, tearing with his draconic fury! I flew over to Thorn and picked up the blade which changed into a fighting dagger as it drank blood from my palm.

I flew up to engage the Queen and stabbed her once with Thorn which was enough to kill the Bitch. As she died, she muttered “I see now you meddling bastard it wasn’t enough to get my mother you had to get me to!”

We searched the area and found a secret compartment under the throne that contained a mastercraft book out of nightmare hide and silver inlay. There were also two scrolls. The book spoke and asked where its owner was. Gillian showed the dead body of the queen and it stated that one of us should possess it, preferably a spellcaster. It called itself the Book of Shadows. Meanwhile, Kaiden placed the shards into the Mirror which when the last piece was put in showed an image of a desert. This was no mere picture as daylight flooded the room. Through acts of will the images changed but before we could figure out much but tower started to crumble. Kaiden managed to change the image to the Capital and we went through the mirror as blocks of masonry came down around us.

Afterwards, Kaiden turned in the Troll Blood to the Alchemist. As a reward we recieved potions in return. It was decided to give two cure light wounds and two protection from evil potions to everyone.

March 4713 (continued)

Week 2 to Week 3

The next morning – we head to the right fork and come to a bog. Leanna makes us some smog masks (That takes about 15 minutes). The fog doesn’t appear to be acidic and the bog appears to be teaming with life. Then we trek into the swamp. About 20 minutes in, we find a hillock with standing stones on top of it with an alter. A glint of light (perhaps the mirror fragment) is on top of of the alter. There is a palpable sense of evil.

As we moved up, something stirrs – an invisible giant snake.

Combat

1 x Naga

After the fight, the group searches the area while Leanna analyzes the alter. It has major ties to necromancy.

We then trek out of the swamp. We then continue onwards counter clock wise and come to an area with a tree. A few skeletons are hanging from the tree with their hands bound behind their backs.

Combat

1 x Specter

2 x Wraith

After a rough battle, a number of the party are level drained and constitution drained. Leanna casts a Lesser Restoration on Oewyn, but apparently without effect.

We search and find a magic ring.

We need to rest up before tackling the Dusk Queen. Heading back to the Behir lair – we are ambushed along the way.

March 4713 (continued)

Week 2 to Week 3

We continue on and come to an area of the forest (HEX 1713 caontinued) that feels sad and abandoned. There are forest causeways throughout this area. We move along one of the causeways.

Alexi spots small ‘swarms’ of insects (not monster swarms) – they are size of the house cats. They are the magical beast version of ‘stirges’. There are hundreds of them. The are probably going to bother anyone who climbs into a tree or flies by.

We move towards a pool of calm dark water in a secluded clearing. We move towards the pool. Leanna believes it to be magical (and so are the tress – from a bloom effect.) Leanna believes the magic of the area inhibits magical teleports – limiting them to 30 feet.

Two figures rise out of the water – dusky brown – female humanoid n form. Oewyn believes they are nymphs. There is a discussion. The Queens Chambers are in her tower. “Are here to serve her or slay her?” We are not here to serve her.

Kaiden detects hopefulness in them during the discussion.

They key into her tower is in the form of a mirror that has been broken. We’ll need to find the shards to reform the key. Ava asks where we can find the shards.

Many of the denizens of the area are not happy with how things are going. They may have information about the locations of the shards.

If we swear to defeat her, they will give us the first shard. It is at the bottom of their pond and Ava dives in to retrieve it. She returns with a large fragment of a mirror (fist sized and inch thick).

Sapphyl and Lasralith are their names. The deep forest is very dangerous – stay to the causesways. Rumor among the fey – if all 5 shards are brought together it could be a magical enhancer.

Other Fragments:

Putrid Bog – Right at the fork

Embedded in the Trunk of a Hanging Tree – Also to the right.

Beneath a mound of smooth black stones – Left Route

One is in a deep pit of shadow – Left Route

Lasralith surfaces with a cloth bundle.

3 potions of cure moderate

1 scroll – restoration

We leave the pond and continue the left path. Along this causeway, we are ambushed. Eight huge spiders (look like black widows) appear from ambush.

Combat

8 x Huge Spiders

At a fork, we go left. There is a clearing with stones. There are carcasses and a punch of creatures with tiny white eyes. 9 bug bears and a bug bear with dragon like wings.

Things quickly devolve into a fight.

Combat

8 x Bugbears

1 x Leader Bugbear

His first action is to fly over to use and blow a negative energy breath weapon over us.

We take them down with Leanna casting Confusion with half of them and Alexi intimidating the other half.

We search the creatures for loot. and the pile of stones. The worm corpse is a Behir.

We go back to the most current fork and go the right path.

At the next fork, we go left. We come to a clearing with a pit in it. On one side the chasm are worn steps in the side. It is very very dark.

Tying ourselves together, we descend 60 feet into the hole to a ledge. The ledge has a cave. 50 ft further down is a inky black cloud. (Open gate to the plain of shadow)

Inside the cave, opens into a natural chasm. At the center is a raised area, there are steps leading up to a stone ring. There is a pool of water in the worked stone. There is a glint at the bottom of the pool.

Combat

1 x Shadow Dragon

2 x Shadows

Half the party is almost banished to the plane of shadow, but we make it out of the chasm. We trek back to the Behir Lair and hole up there to lick our wounds.

Leanna does some preventative care.

During the first watch, a figure appears put of the shadows at the entrance. It’s hauntingly beautiful woman. Shadow pools around her. Power radiates from her.

“I know you are gathering all my shards. If you bring them to me, we can enter into a pact. You have problems to the south – I can deal with them.”

Things devolve and her form disappears saying “Kill them”. We then fight 2 x Shadow Mastiffs

Combat

2 x Shadow Mastiffs

We win, but this fight breaks up our ‘long term care’ and then we make it through to morning.

Week 2
4 days into the week took place in the last session

Goals

Oewyn tracks down the giant trail and we come across him along a road by some over turned wagons.

He is singing about his sorrows. When we move up and engage him in conversation “His Green Lady is missing.” “She show’s up in his dreams.” “Gone now, and can’t find her.” We describe the Old Beldame. “What? No, she’s not a hag.” “Many nights ago” (was the last he saw her). What was the Green Lady talking to him about in his dreams? “She was going to find him a mate.”

Alexi attempts to send the Giant to the south west. “You know the Green Lady? Give her to me or I will take her by force?” We end up in a fight.

Combat

1 x Hill Giant “Monguk”

Found some loot and a crude map.

Leanna believes it is a map of the south west. – Markings are indecipherable. Comprehend Languages could help.

Next up – travel to 1516 then 1616, 1615, and 1614 (Shadow Lands).

1516 – Marsupial cat tracks – but we avoid them

1515 – Boars – we avoid them

1616 – During third watch that night – encounters a lizard man. He was bringing a message from “Raashok” wanting to meet with us on the lake outside the Lizardman village.

1715 – Lizardmen Island

Oewyn detects unease – perhaps this hex is next to be assimilated by the Shadow Lands.

Raashok comes that night. If he stages a coup, it will not be without bloodshed and likely will harm their ability to hunt and bring them to the point of starvation.

Offers

Food Supplies (BP investment for a specific period of time)

Military Aid (Party aid in the coup – aid and then leave)

Agreement Offered

Alliance and the eventual goal of joining our growing kingdom

Too early to talk about Alliance yet, but would be willing to take steps in that direction. Peaceful relations. Not hunt our people and give them safe passage. Would provide military support with a lizardman unit for one (1) fight.

Night raid coup and the chief and spirit would need to be defeated

The next time we’ll help in the coup.

The Coup

XX x Lizardmen

2 x Blood Caimans

1 x Will-o-wisp

2 x Harem

1 x Chief Vesket

1 x Troll

We are victorious! After defeating Chief Vesket and his followers we drained his troll follower of blood and installed our lizardman friend as the new chieftain.

Though ominously Chief Vesket did state that we had doomed “us” all after Eva connected with the final blow.

Cousin congratulated the new chief and presented him with the ancestral spear, however the willowisp had escaped, without it there is no proof that it wasn’t a spirit ancestor. Still our efforts were enough to secure the lizardman’s neutrality in the upcoming war.

Raashok will not be hailed as the leader for now until the Wisp is proved dead.

Gathered Troll Blood. Will need to bring it back within a couple of weeks (before next kingdom turn)

We depart the next day and head out to Hex 1714.

NOTE: Mark surveyed on 1715

While traveling into the Shadow Lands, Owen noticed that the vegetation seemed unusual, more fleshy? I wasn’t sure as it was too disturbing to contemplate. I was quite glad for the dim light. Owen found some dragon(?) tracks that led to a valley filled with fog. We decided to head in. The fog was quite thick and we had difficulty seeing. We tied the pommels of our horses’ saddles together to keep anyone from getting lost from the others.

The fog was faintly acidic, not enough to harm us in the short term. We continued until we reached the edge of a body of water. The horses became very restless, so Owen cast resist acid on us and waterwalk on himself to explore the water. Turns out it wasn’t water but a huge pool of acid! He noticed that there was a large body of an owlbear half melted half eaten near the edge of the acid pool.

In the distance we heard a screeching roar. In response we encircled the horses. Eva tried to antagonize the monster. In response it breathed acid on us and the horses, we were protected while the poor beasts were not. I led our mounts away while Eva and Gwain continued the taunt the dragon. Owen summoned an air elemental to clear some of the fog and revealed a large reptilian creature. It charged just after I moved up to support Eva, leaving my valiant steed to guard the horses.

After defeating the Forest Drake we tracked it back to its nest. Inside was a humanoid body with some gear that wasn’t completely destroyed.

After exploring the area and finding nothing else of significance we pushed further into the Shadow Lands, heading West. We encountered a giant talking tree who shouted “The Dusk Queen to returned!” and asked if we were here to stop her or do her favors for rewards. Owen said we were trying to stop the spread of darkness. The Treant took offense to this answer and attacked.

While fighting, the acid spitting tree told Eva “Arbiter, I was told you were not here for violence. I will let you pass while dealing with these.” Eva replied that the Treant should stand down or suffer. That she was here to discuss matters with the Dusk Queen. The thing refused and so the battle continued. Eva finally smote it with a fire spell. After it fell over in a burning heap a pair of eyes appeared in the smoke. A voice challenged us to continue invading her realm.